Stock-gate for railroads



(No Model.)

J. JACKSON.

STOCK GATE FOR RAILROADS. No. 417,248. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOIIN JACKSON, OF GRAND CANE, LOUISIANA.

STOCK-GATE FOR RAI LROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,248, dated December 17, 1889.

Application filed August 24, 1889. Serial No. 321,820. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN JACKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Cane, in the parish of De Soto and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Stock-Gate for Railroads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to stocl gates for railroads, adapted to close gaps in cuts, whereby stock are prevented from passing therethrough and from endangering their lives from passing trains.

The objects of the invention are to provide a gate and means for operating the same at the approach of a train, whereby the gate is opened and closed after passing thereover, and this by the weight of the train.

Vith these general objects in view the in vention consists in pivoting a gate across a track and mounting at either side suitable le vers adapted to hold the gate normally in a vertical or closed position and to be operated by a passing train to open and close the gate automatically, all as will hereinafter appear, and be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a perspective of a section of a -track provided with a gate constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a trans verse section; Fig. 3, a detail of the gate; Fig. at, a View of the closing-levers, and Fig. 5 a similar view of the opening-levers.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 represents the rails, supported by the usual mud sills or ties 2.

3 represents a transverse shaft journaled in the rails, the ends of the shaft extending on each side of the approach, thus forming two outer portions and a central inner portion. Upon each of these outer portions is mounted a section at of the gate 5, leaving intermediate rail-spaces between the adjacent ends of each section, so that the completed gate is capable of folding down below the up per surface of the rails for the purpose of permitting of the passage over the rails of the The sections of gate are secured at one side of the shaft, and the shaft is centrally cranked, as at 6, to which central crank portion is connected the central section ofthe gate, so that if unsupported there is a normal tendency upon the part of the gate to open or lie parallel with and below the upper surface of the track-rails.

Upon that side of the gate opposite to the transverse crank-shaft is pivoted to each rail a jointed lever 7, the inner ends of the levers terminating close to'the gates on about a line with the shaft 3, and the adjacent ends of the sections of the lever being weighted, as at S, and pivoted to each other, as at 9. Outside of each of theweighted portions, as at 8, the opposite levers are connected by transverse cross-shafts 10, extending from rail to rail. The weight of the weighted portions is considerably more than the weight of the remaining portions of each of the sections of the levers, so that there is a constant tendency to break the joint of the sections, lowering the inner ends of each section, and consequently raising the outer ends thereof, and thus the outer ends of the two inner sections serve to maintain, the gate 5 in a vertical or closed position, and the outer ends of the outer sections, which terminate in treads 11, are raised above the surface of the tracks.

The levers described form the closing-1e vers for the gate, and I will now proceed to describe the opening-levers, which are located at the opposite side of the gate.

12 represents opposite levers, the outer ends of which are bolted to the web of the rails, and in front of their bolted portions are extended above the upper surface of the track to form treads 13, the inner ends of the levers being bent downwardly under the gate-shaft 3 and coupled by a coupling-link 14 to the inner ends of the inner sections employed to close the gates. Between each of the levers 12 and the adjacent crossties 2, I locate a coiled spring 15, serving to maintain the levers 12 in such a position that their treads will be above this upper surface of the rail. A car approaching first strikes the treads 13, depresses the same, and through the connecting-links withdraws the abutting ends of the inner sections of the opposite pair of levers from contact with the gate, and the gate falls by gravity and permits the passage of the train. lVhen the train has passed over the treads, it next comes in contact with the weighted joints and aids the same in closing the gate; but said joints would perform that function irrespective of after the passage of the train in the same -manner as before described.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, with the rails, of a 1 gate pivoted and adapted to drop between the same, a lever pivoted at one side of the gate and terminating at one end against it and supporting it in a vertical position, and means for supporting the lever normally in this position, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the rails, of a transverse centrally-cranked shaft mounted between the rails, gate-sections mounted on the shaft atone side thereof, whereby the gate is adapted to fall by gravity, levers pivoted at each side of the gate, the terminal of one of which is adapted to abut against the gate and prevent its falling and is connected to the terminal of the opposite lever, and means for normally supporting the first-mentioned le ver in its gate-supporting position, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the rails, of a pivoted gravitygate mounted across the same, a pair of jointed levers pivoted at one side of the gate beside each of the rails, the free ends of the outer levers terminating in treads projecting above the rails, the joints thereof being weighted to cause a raising of their opposite ends, and the free endsof the inner levers abutting against the gate and serving to support the same in a vertical or closed position, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the rails, of a transversely-pivoted gravity-gate and opposite levers pivoted to the rails and having their ends weighted beyond their pivots and their inner ends'abutting against and supporting the gate, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the rails, of a pivoted gate mounted thereacross, pivoted lever-sections having their ends abutting against the gate to support the same in a vertieal position, and opposite yielding treads projecting above the surface of the track and having their inner ends offset and coupled with the abutting ends of the opposite sections, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own Ihave hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN JACKSON. Vitnesses:

MARoE L JoNEs, E. PITTARD. 

